Work Rant!

Ok, so I just got off this incredibly long call where I am interpreting a legal, recorded statement being taken. Lawyers for all parties are present. I put on my best 'professional interpreter' voice. the client for whom I am interpreting is a space cadet. Refuses to answer any question directly, and not because council is directing her to do so, simply because she lacks the capacity to stick to the topic. Within five words of answering any question she is off in orbit around Jupiter.

<fast forward to the near end of the call>

There is one question that the person asking the questions needs answered specifically and to the point. It's not happening. Not for love or money. One of the attorneys present comes out with this crap:

"I think we have a translation issue. I have someone here who might be able to do a better job at getting the pint across."

*flames of Mt. Doom start coming out of my ears*

The person who is there present starts having a one on one conversation with the person being questioned, cutting everyone else out of the loop, and definitely not translating into English the interchange between herself and the person being questioned. The interested parties have no idea what these two are talking about for the next ten minutes, only I do.

Mind you, and I repeat, this is a legal, under oath statement being taken!

This is so outside of the code of the interpreter, that I cannot even talk! No interpreter would ever, ever, ever, do this! And for a legal statement no less!! Recorded!!


Now, I really don't have an emotional investment in how they do what they do. They can have a deaf/blind capuchin monkey do their translation service for all I care, but to have the lawyer indicate that I was not translating well and then to have some random whoever just start doing whatever she wanted, sets my blood to boil.